Friend,
Our names are Hayley and Sophie, and we are part of Brady’s Legal Team. We’re also both part of generation lockdown.
We grew up in Massachusetts, and although we didn’t attend the same schools, we have the same vivid memories of being in middle school at the time of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and high school students when the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School happened. In those two tragedies alone, 43 people — the majority children — were shot and killed while in their classrooms.
Watching kids our age and their communities be deeply impacted by gun violence, we decided to work at Brady, so we could be part of the generation that finally brings an end to the epidemic of gun violence.
As part of Brady’s Legal Team, we know that our work in the courts is essential, especially right now. Even when Congress may be gridlocked, we are able to set life-saving precedents and secure major victories against the gun industry — all while securing justice for survivors of gun violence pro bono — free of charge.
And we have had some incredible victories this year that we’d like to share with you, friend:
✅ The Supreme Court ruled that ghost guns — unserialized, home-assembled firearms — should be subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms. We filed multiple amicus briefs at various stages in the case in support of the ATF’s ghost gun rule. This decision is paramount in keeping untraceable weapons off the streets.
✅ Brady represented the City of Baltimore in a historic lawsuit against Polymer80, the largest ghost gun manufacturer in the country, and Hanover Armory, the largest ghost gun dealer in Maryland, for their roles in fueling the ghost gun crisis in Baltimore. We settled with Polymer80 for $1.2 million dollars — they have since shut down. Hanover Armory wouldn’t settle, so we proceeded to trial. After two weeks of testimony and evidence, the jury awarded the City $62 million, the largest verdict against a gun company in American history. These funds will be used to address the violence in the city and ultimately save lives.
✅ We filed a new lawsuit in Cook County, IL, against gun dealer Range USA and others whose conduct failed to recognize red flags of a straw purchase, which led to an 18 year old getting a gun through his girlfriend and using it to shoot our client. We are hoping that this case will bring justice for our client and address the significant danger that straw purchasing poses to public safety.
We are ready to build on this success in the new year and continue to leverage the courts to hold the gun industry accountable, defend life-saving laws, and make progress toward ending this epidemic.
But we can’t do it alone. Will you consider supporting our efforts in the courts with a gift today? Your support will help us take on the gun industry, support victims and survivors of gun violence, and make communities safer.
